THE DEFAULTING LANCERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9496, 27 November 1899, Page 2

THE DEFAULTING LANCERS.

MELBOURNE, Nov. 24.

Thirty-one Line rs returned by the Nineveh. Six are invalided and were not passed by the army doctor at the Cape. It bad oiriginally been .supposed that all had volunteored with one exception when the test •was applied by the War Office. Three days before the Niuevah left Bhe found that 80 had declined to sign the paper to volunteer. Great jndigna. tion was expressed by the War Office authorities. The men who are-"re* turning assort that they were never seriously asked to volunteer. Had they been they should have refused to go. In Juno Uaptain Cox asked whether, in the event of war would they join with hira in offering their services, and tha'captaitt asserts that only one refused. On the strength of this he conveyed the offer to the War Department and secured the influence of Lord to '- induce';the authorities to accept it. He never . dreamt that it was necessary to consult the men. When the offer was accepted he got some inkling that the men were going back on him, The men declare that Oapt. Cox.never consulted the whole of them. Some say under no circumstances would they have consented to go with Oapt. Cox,